Since the Havoc was released back in February (the first gun to be added to Apex Legends since the game’s release), feelings have been very mixed about this unique Energy-based gun. A high recoil and reliance on the right attachments made this gun hard to pick over the more reliable R-301 Carbine or a trusty Spitfire. But now the developers have addressed this with a series of buffs to the Havoc in the 1.1.1 Patch Notes, all of which and more we’ll go over in our Apex Legends Havoc guide below.

Apex Legends Havoc guide – Apex Legends’ new gun

Below we’ve detailed not only what the developers have to say on the Havoc Assault Rifle and its recent 1.1.1 changes, but also detailed statistics, from damage and fire rate to reload times and recoil patterns; and then we’ll finish off with some tips and tricks on how to master this strangest of Apex Legends weapons. Use the links below to navigate straight to any of these sections.

Havoc description

The Havoc is different in quite a few ways from the other Assault Rifles – and all the other guns in Apex Legends, to be honest. Below we’ve put together a concise list of everything you need to know to start using and killing with this new weapon.

Havoc is the only Assault Rifle to take Energy Ammo.

A very high rate of fire and damage-per-shot is balanced out by a “charge-up” time before the Havoc starts firing.

Havoc is the first gun in Apex Legends that can equip two different Hop-Ups (the Turbocharger and the Selectfire Receiver), but it can’t equip both at once.

The Turbocharger removes the “charge-up” time of the Havoc.

The Selectfire Receiver allows you to switch from full-auto mode to a special single-shot mode which charges up and then fires a laser blast.

The single-shot mode of the Havoc is hitscan and has damage drop-off – making the Havoc the only gun in the game with these qualities.

The single-shot mode also uses up 4 Energy Ammo with every shot.

Havoc is the only Assault Rifle that does not feature a Magazine attachment slot, meaning you cannot ever increase its magazine size.

Respawn have described the Havoc as a gun which “packs a punch” and has “multiple personalities”, both of which are certainly true. However, more than almost any other gun in Apex Legends, the Havoc is not a weapon that’s easy to get to grips with, even after its 1.1.1 buffs, and you’ll need to play around with it for a while before you can start to use it effectively. Let’s take a look at the stats and see what exactly at work here.

Apex Legends Havoc stats

In the below tables we’ve detailed just about every statistic that might be useful to know about the Havoc. The first gives basic stats, and the second gives the Time To Kill (TTK) under different circumstances. So have a look through, and meet me at the bottom when you’re done.

Havoc stats (Basic)

Name

Havoc

Ammo

Energy Ammo

Mag Size

32

Tactical/Full Reload

3.20s/3.20s

DPS

201.6

Body/Head/Leg DMG

18/36/13.5

Fire Rate (SPS)

11.2 (1.7 with single-shot)

Charge-Up Time

0.50s

Att. Slots

Optic, Stock, Hop-Up

Modes

Auto (Single with Hop-Up)

Projectile Speed

30500

Draw Time

0.60s

ADS Movement Speed
(% of non-ADS speed)

50%

Max Headshot Distance

11828

Havoc stats (TTK)

Note: the below figures are displayed in the format of how long it takes to deal 100/150/175/200 HP damage, as this reflects the TTK depending on the enemy’s Body Shield quality.

DMG Type

DMG

Shots To Kill

Time To Kill
(without Turbocharger)

Time To Kill
(with Turbocharger)

Bodyshots

18

6/9/10/12

0.95s/1.21s/
1.30s/1.48s

0.45s/0.71s/
0.80s/0.98s

Headshots vs
No Helmet

36

3/5/5/6

0.68s/0.86s/
0.86s/0.95s

0.18s/0.36s/
0.36s/0.45s

Headshots vs
Lvl 1 Helmet (10%)

32.4

4/5/6/7

0.77s/0.86s/
0.95s/1.04s

0.27s/0.36s/
0.45s/0.54s

Headshots vs
Lvl 2 Helmet (20%)

28.8

4/6/7/7

0.77s/0.95s/
1.04s/1.04s

0.27s/0.45s/
0.54s/0.54s

Headshots vs
Lvl 3/4 Helmet (25%)

27

4/6/7/8

0.77s/0.95s/
1.04s/1.13s

0.27s/0.45s/
0.54s/0.63s

Havoc attachments

Hop Ups

There are one or two interesting things to note about the Havoc’s attachment capabilities. First, the obvious one – it can take two different Hop-Up attachments, though not at the same time. So the question is, which one is better to use?

The Turbocharger gets rid of the Havoc’s biggest weakness – the wind-up time on its full-auto mode. I’ve seen people comparing it to the Devotion’s spin-up time, but that’s not quite right. The Devotion starts firing immediately but at a slowed rate, and steadily increases to its maximum. The Havoc doesn’t fire at all for the first half-second, but when it does start firing it fires at a steady rate like all the other guns in Apex. Honestly, the Devotion’s way is nicer.

The Havoc’s delay takes a lot to get used to, and it’s the main counterbalance to the gun’s high mag size, rate of fire, and general damage; so if you add a Turbocharger, the Havoc is basically nothing but good. Probably the best Assault Rifle Apex Legends has to offer, in all honesty.

The Selectfire Receiver, on the other hand, adds a whole new dimension to the Havoc with its single-shot mode. But you will likely find this laser shot to be a little underwhelming at first. The fact that it is hitscan may trick you into thinking it’s easy to use, but actually the half-second charge-up time between pulling the trigger and the gun actually firing makes it very difficult to land shots at range. Plus, it’s not nearly as ammo-efficient as something like the Triple Take, because it uses up 4 of your precious Energy Ammo with each shot. Plus it has damage dropoff, which just sucks.

Respawn have addressed the discrepancy in power between these two different types of Havoc in the 1.1.1 Patch Notes, all of which you can peruse in much greater detail over on our Apex Legends update page. The Turbocharger is now the attachment you’ll find on a fully-kitted gold Havoc; and the Havoc’s single-shot beam now takes 4 instead of 5 Energy Ammo per shot, and features slightly higher damage and reduced damage fall-off. But even so, if you’re still getting to grips with the gun I’d pick a Turbocharger over the Selectfire Receiver every time. Though of course, you could always keep the spare one in your inventory, and switch them out as and when you need…

No Magazine or Barrel attachments

The other thing worth noting is that the Havoc is the first Assault Rifle whose magazine size cannot be upgraded with a mag attachment. Which makes sense, because there’s no Energy Extended Mag in the game as of yet, and also the Havoc’s base mag size is very high anyway thanks to the 1.1.1 update. But the fact that you cannot attach either a magazine or a barrel attachment to this gun makes it all about the Hop-Ups.

Sure, you can add a Stock attachment to reduce Havoc’s aim drift and draw time, but this is far from the most vital attachment you could add. All in all, this is a gun that is made or broken by whether you have a Turbocharger – much like the Prowler ascending to godly tiers of power the moment it gets its Selectfire Receiver.

For more information on all the attachments on offer in Apex Legends, be sure to check out our detailed Apex Legends attachments guide.

Havoc spray pattern & recoil

The Havoc’s recoil and spray pattern is more akin to an LMG like the Spitfire than a traditional Assault Rifle. Take a look at the screenshot below, and have a think about what you see.

As you can see, there’s only a very slight horizontal sway as you fire. The recoil is primarily vertical. You may also have noticed that prior to the 1.1.1 update, the first 15 or so shots of the Havoc had hight recoil but the rest of the shots had relatively no recoil at all. This is no longer the case; there is still some slight bunching together of impact marks at the top, but overall the recoil continues more or less the same throughout the entire magazine.

Tips and tricks on mastering the Havoc in Apex Legends

Let’s finish up by solidfying our knowledge of the Havoc with a handful of practical tips and tricks to employ during a match with this new and fascinating Apex Legends Assault Rifle.

Turbocharger is your closest friend. That charge-up time is truly awful, and always hits you hardest in the middle of a fight when you need to start firing right now. The Turbocharger completely eliminates the biggest weakness of the Havoc, letting its high mag size and stupendous DPS take the fore.

Remember the Havoc’s spray pattern. Never let yourself forget the high recoil of the Havoc, lest it take you by surprise when you fire upon an enemy. Every time you pull the trigger prepare to counteract the spray pattern, because you can’t fit a barrel on this gun to lessen its recoil.

Pair the Havoc with a responsive close-range weapon. If you don’t have a Turbocharger for the Havoc, then it’s a liability if you’re crept up on by a nearby enemy and forced into a close-range encounter. You need a good responsive weapon to fall back on, like a Peackeeper, EVA-8, R-99, or full-auto Prowler. Any of these would pair excellently with the Havoc.

Spend time training with the Havoc. The Havoc is indeed readily available in the Training area (it’s at the end, next to the other Energy Ammo weapons). This gun feels and acts very different from the rest of the Apex Legends weapons arsenal, so spend a good while teaching yourself to use it and getting used to those charge-up times.

Conserve your ammo as much as possible. The Havoc is a very ammo-hungry gun, and Energy Ammo isn’t nearly as easy to come by as the other kinds. It’s best not to go for random long-range potshots with this gun, because when it comes down to it you’re gonna tear through your ammo reserves while you’re tearing through your enemies. Much like the Devotion, conserve your ammo, and communicate with your team to ensure you get as much Energy Ammo as possible.

That’s everything we’ve got to offer so far on the Havoc, but we’re bound to figure out more stuff as everyone plays around with it more, so keep checking back for all the latest stats and strategies on Apex Legends’ newest and strangest gun!

All Apex Legends Weapons

Click any of the links below to head over to another individual weapon page within our Apex Legends series. For an overview of how gunplay works and comparative stats on all the guns in Apex Legends, check out our larger Apex Legends guns/weapons guide.